Car door mechanism



Nov. 10, 1931. B. w. KADEL CAIR DOOR MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 17 1925 Nov. 10, 1931. B. WQKADEL CAR DOOR MECHANISM ori inal Filed Dec.

17, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UITE fiTAT mwamzmm alzmmmnm BYERS W. KADEL, C 1 BALTIMIORE, MARYLAND CAR 13603 I Application filed December 17, 1925, Serial This invention relates to car door mecha nism for railway dump cars and has for its object to provide simple, rugged and reliable means for readily closing and securing hinged car doors and more especially hose ofthe type, such as hopper doors, which swing to .ciency under service conditions while at the same time aifording convenient and effective means for utilizing a pry to force the door from partially closed to fully closed position. I

A primary feature of the invention, generally stated, consists inproviding the swinging door controlling the opening through which the lading of the car is to be discharged with a bracket having a portion which projects laterally outward so as to be adapted, when the door is in closed position, to stand in overlapping relation to a door supporting bracket secured to the side of the car; the outwardly extending portion of the bracket carried by the door constituting a guide and support for a slidable locking membed adapted to cooperate with thebracket mounted on the car body and thus maintain the door in closed position.

A. further feature of the inventioninvolves the employment of a plurality of brackets one of which is rigidly mounted on the car door and the other on the side of the car body, one of the brackets being adapted to support a sliding locking member which cooperates with the other bracket to maintain the door in closed position, and each of said brackets being formed with means extending outwardly from the side of the car for cooperating with a removable lever to force the door to closed position. i

Other advantageous features of the invention pertaining to details of desirable combinations of parts contributing to ease of manufacture and efliciency of operation will appear as the invention is de scribed in further detail. 1

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

- cordance with the construction and,

No. Win44. Renewed November 11, 1929.

- ligure 1 is'a fragmentary side elevation fa portion of a hopper car showing the invention applied thereto.

Tigure 2 is a sectional view on the line 22, Fig. 1. Figure 3 is an end elevation, looking toward the door of the construction shown in Fig; 1. Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on theline let, Fig. 3. o I

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the bolt engaging bracket mountedon the car side.

Door locking mechanism constructed in ac-' invention is especially suitable for application to cars of the twin hopper type andaccordingly'a car of that character has been illustrated in the drawings for the purpose of explaining the invention.

in the drawings, 1 designates the downwardly and inwardly inclined outer side sheet of a car hopper and 2 is the door for closing the hopper discharge opening. The door may be hinged to the car body in any usual or desired manner and preferably is of the sheetn etal type having an outturned marginal flange 3. vAdjacent the margin of its discharge opening the. hopper may advantageously have an outwardly e2 ;te1 '1dingv seat or shoulder a serving to limit the closing movement of the door andbe provided with a sealing flange 5 which when the door is in closed position overlies the marginal fiange 3 ofthe door and thus prevents the esca'pe' offine lading. V p Secured to the outer face of thedoor and preferably extending parallel to the free edge.- of the latter is a door reinforcing member 6 which may extend across and be rigidly attached to both door sections of the hopper so as to causethem to act in the usual manner a single unit. This reinforcing member may advantageously be of flanged form, preferably beinga section of commercialchannel iron having its flanges extending downwardly. Riveted to the door and to the web of the reinforcing member 6 secured to the latter is a braiket 7 formed with angularly' disposed spectively seat against thebody of the door and the web of the door spreader 6. The bracket 7 extends outwardly beyond the side webs or flanges 8' and 9 which re- I.

ill

sheet 1 of the car and intermediate its ends is offset, as at 10, to clear the marginal flange 3 of the door. The bracket is fashioned, between its outer end and the offset 10, with a housing 11 for receiving a slidable door locking member 12 which preferably is a bolt of rectangular cross section. This housing may be integral with the bracket 7 and one of its walls preferably constitutes a portion of the basal flange 8 of the bracket. The remaining walls of the housing 11 preferably extend upward from the flange 9, the latter being apertured to conform to the shape of the bolt and permit the passage of the latter. The housing 11 is positioned so that the lower end of the bolt 12 is disposed outwardly beyond the discharge opening of the car hopper, thus enabling the bracket 13 which is mounted on the car body for cooperation with the bolt to be arranged so that it cannot be injured, clogged .or fouled by the lading as it is discharged from the hopper. Moreover, such a construction permits the mechanism to be provided with strong and simple means for effectively cooperating with a removable lever such as is commonly employed for forcing the door to fully closed position in case it may become bent or warped as the result of service. The bolt 12 preferably is gravity actuated so as automatically to assume locked position and may advantageously be in parallelism to the plane of the door and substantially at right angles to the axis upon which the door swings.

At its outer end the bracket 7 is formed with a lug 14 serving as a seat for a removable door operating lever. This lug may, as shown, advantageously be curved or hooked so as to form a recessed seat for the prying lever and may be backed up or reinforced by a suitable rib or flange 15 if desired. It is desirable to form the upper end of the sliding locking bolt 12 with a lug 16 which projects outwardly above the lever seat lug 14 on the bracket carried by the door, as such a construction permits a removable lever to be fulcrumed on the seat 14 and brought into engagement with the lug 16 of the'bolt for the purpose of moving the latter to door releasing position if difliculty should be en countered in so doing. Opposite the lug 16 the slidable bolt 12 is preferably provided at its top with an inclined face 17 which is adapted to be engaged by a rotatable cam or dog 18 mounted upon the bracket 7. This cam member is preferably pivoted toits supporting bracket by means of a flanged sleeve or thimble 19 through which and through the bracket 7 of the rivet 20 passes. lVhile the bolt 12 tends to remain in door securing position by its own weight, the cam 18 provides positive means for preventing an aroidental unlocking movement of the bolt, as will be readily understood. To strengthen the off set end of the bracket 7 so that it may efliciently resist the forces to which it is subjected in service, its flange 9 may advantageously be curved or widened at its outer end, as indicated at 20, and gusset anges 21 and 22, respectively, projecting outwardly from the flange 8, may extend across the offset 10 of the bracket.

The bracket 13 for cooperating with the sliding bolt 12 is rigidly secured to the car body by means of rivets 23 which extend through the side sheet 1 of the hopper. riiller 2% of the same thickness as the plate forming the door seat -1 andsealing flange 5 of the hopper 18 preferably interposed be tween the bracket and the sidesheet of the car when the said door seat and sealing flange are formed upon a member attached to the side sheet. This bracket may 7 advantageously be formed with a base plate 25 which is laterally offset intermediate its ends. at 26, to pass around the marginal sealing flange 5 of the hopper, and it may be fashioned with an outstanding web or gusset 13 reinforcing the offset in the basal plate 26 and tying the inner end of the latter to the bolt recewing socket 27 formed at the outer end of the bracket. The portion of the basal plate socured to the'side sheet of the hopper is disposed ina plane substantially parallel with the latter while the portion of the plate disposed outwardly of the sealing flange 5 is disposed in a substantially vertical plane. The socket portion 27 of the bracket 13 e2;- tends laterally of the adjacent portion of the basal plate substantially normal thereto and is preferably provided with a plurality of shoulders 28 and 29, respectively, rorrespond-- ing to similar faces or shoulders 30'and 31 at the lower end of the sliding bolt 12. By this means the door 2 may be supported either in partially closed position or in fully closed position when as shown in the drawings the face 30 of the bolt engages the shoulder 28 of the bracketthe door is held in fully closed position, but if the shoulder 31 of the bolt is in engagement-with the shoulder 25 of the bracket then the door is maintained in partially closed position. To cause the sliding locking member 12 to be automatically retracted when the door is swung toward closed position the'relatively wide upper surface of the bolt receiving socket portion of the bracket 13 preferably has its outer end 32 curved or inclined to form an approach plane for cooperating with a beveled face 33 with which the bolt 12 is provided at its lower end. The bolt receiving portion'of the bracket 13 may if desired be formed with a web or flange 34 serving as a stop adapted to engage the bolt so as to limit the closing movement of the door. Since when the door is in closed position the bolt receiving portion of the bracket 13 is disposed imn'iediately below the outwardly extending portion of the bracket or arm 7 it will be appreciated that the former door and socket: portion 27 of theibracket. 1'3 beneath:

the-fulcrum lug'lzl ot the bracket. 7 isa lever seat or fulcrum-inemberfi if preferably" constituted as a lug." which is indented or pierced: so as-to form a recessoreye forireceiving a removable pry bar. onlever. WVh-eni such a prybar' (not; shown) is brought into: cooperatiye relation with the lugs 14 and 34 upon their-respective brackets, the trainman is enabled to apply great. force. to the door, so that it may bebrought to fully'locked position even though it" may be considerably warped. In an similar mannerithe removable lever may be manipulatedto: pry the door open in the event. it shouldtstick or become frozen in closed position by iceor snow.

1. A car door mechanism for railway hopper cars including, in combination with a door hinged to the car body, a plurality of brackets one of which is mounted on the theother ona side sheet ofthe'hopper, the saidbracket mounted uponthe door having a portion projecting outwardly beyond the sideot the hopper, and a door locking member slidably mounted upon the said projecting portion of: the bracket carried by the door, said lockingimember' being adapted to engage the bracket carried by the hopper to prevent an opening: movement of the door.

2. A car door mechanislnfor railway hopper cars involving, in combination with a. door hinged to thecar body, a plurality of brackctsone of which'is mo unted OIL the door and the other on the hopper, said. brackets being providedv with portions which overlap each other at a point spaced outwardly fromv the side of the hopper, and a. slidable locking. member mounted on one of said brackets and adapted to engage the other to lock-the door in closed position.

3. A -ar door mechanism for railway-hopper cars including, in combination with a door hinged to the car body, a plurality of brackets one ofwhichis mounted on the door and the other on the hopper, andv a locking membermounted onone ofsaid bracketsiand. rid-i spaced outwardly from the side ofi the hopper, said locking member being movable in the direct-ion of its length;

i. A car door mechanism for railway hopper cars including, in combination. with a door hinged tothe car body, a: bracket secured to aside sheet of the hopper, a bracket mounted upon the door and having; a portion which is disposed above and overlaps a portion of the said bracket secured to the hopper, and a locking member slidably mounted on the bracket'carried by the door outward- 1y of the sideof the hopper, said locking men]- inforcing member pted to engagethe other'bracket at a point ber being adapted to engage the bracket secured to the. hopper for maintaining'the. door inclosed position. I V

j 5: Atcar door mechanism including,in combination with a door'hingedzto-thecar body, a: bracket secured to said door, a reinforcing member securedto said door and saidbrack ct, said bracket being: provided with a portion projecting outwardly beyond the side of thescar, a locking member shdablymounted:

ponthe said projecting portion of the bracket, and aebracket'mo-untedupon.the side of. the car and adapted to cooperate with Silltl;

locking member to maintain the door. in closed-position. '1

6. A car door mechanism including, in combinationwith a. door hinged to the. car

body, a reinforcing member secured tothe door, flanges d sposed at an angle'to'eachother, one of said flanges being secured to said. re-

said bracket being provided with a. perforata. bracket providedwitha: plurality of and the other to the door,

ed: housing, a bolt slidably mounted. in said.

housing, and a. bracket mounted on the. side of the car and. provided with'an' opening for.

receiving said bolt, said housing andrsaidi outwardly irom the opening being spaced side of thecar body.

T. A car door mechanism including, combination with a door hinged to the car body and having a marginal. flangebeyond thev side of: the car, door, said bracket flange and being provided outwardly of said. offset with. a housingga bolt slidably mounted in said housing, and: a. bracket secured to the carv side for: cooperating with the lion'sing; to maintain the door in. closed. position. 81 A car door mechanism including, combination with a door body, a braoket secured to the dooriandxhaving. a portion projecting outwardly beyond the adjacent side of the car, said bracket be ing provided orminga seat for a. removable prying lever and: being formed. adjacentsaid means with a housing adapted to receive a slidable loci" ing "member, formed-with a shoulder adapted to be engaged by a: removable prying lever cooperat' ing with said means, and a bracket mounted. upon the adjacent side of thecar and: adaptedtocooperate with said locking member to maintain the doorin closed-position,.said last named bracketbeing provided with a portion forming a seat tor a removable lever whichisadapted to cooperate with said bracket carried. by the door.

9. A car door mechanism including, in

combination with a door hinged tothe' car body, a bracket mounted upon the door, a rectilinearly movableby said: bracket, and means secured; toithe ad jacent sidewallof the car body forcooperata bracket secured tothe being-offset; to clear said:

in hinged to the car at" its outer end. with. means locking device carried:

ioo

a slidable locking 'member ing with said locking device to prevent an opening movement of the door, said bracket and said locking devlce being provided with shoulders adapted to be simultaneously en-' gaged by a removable prying lever.

' 10. A car door mechanism including, in

' upon which it is mounted being provided with shoulders adapted to cooperate with a removable lever whereby said means may be moved to door releasing position. o

11. A car door including, in combination with a door hinged to the car body, a bracket secured to the door and formed outwardly of the adjacent edge of the latter with a housing, a. locking member slidably mounted in said housing, and a bracket secured to the car body for cooperating with said locking member to secure the door in closed position, said first named bracket being formed with a basal flange and a flange connecting said housing thereto.

12. A door mechanism for the hopper of a railway car including, in combination with a door hingedly associated with the hopper, a plurality of bracket members respectively secured to the door and to the side of the hopper, and a slidably mounted locking member engageable with said brackets adjacent a side edge of the door for supporting the door in closed position, said locking member and one of'said brackets being provided with portions disposed outwardly of the said side of the hopper adapted to be simultaneously engaged by a removable prying lever for inducing movement of said member. i p

13. A door mechanism for the hopper of a railway car including, in combination with a door hingedly associated with the hopper, a plurality of bracket members one of which is secured to the door and the other to the side of the hopper adjacent a side edge of the door, and a slidable locking member One of the said brackets and adapted to engage the other bracket for supporting the door in closed position, said locking member an d bracket on which it is mounted being provided with means simultaneously engageable with a removable prying. lever for moving said locking member out of engagement with the other bracket.

7 14. A door mechanism for the hopper of a railway car including, in combination with a door hingedly associated with the hopper, a plurality of brackets one of which is mounted on the door and the other on the side of the hopper adjacent a side edge of the door, and a locking member slidably'mounted on one of said brackets and adapted to engage the mounted on other bracket to support the door in closed position, the lower portion of said member being provided with a surface engageable with said 1ast-named bracket upon closing movement of the door for causing said member to move upwardly into position to operatively engage the said bracket.

15. A door mechanism for the hopper of a railway car including, in combination with a door hingedly associated with the hopper, a plurality of brackets one of which is mounted on the door and the other on the side of the hopper adjacent a side edge of the door, and a locking member slidably mounted on one of said brackets and adapted to engage the other bracket, said locking member being movable in the direction of its length at an angle to the hinge axis of the door, said brackets and member being cooperable to support the door in partially closed position and in fully closed position.

16. In a railway car,the combination with a hopper having a lading discharge opening, said hopperbeing defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position'uuder the influence of gravity, a bracket member rigidly secured to. the outer side sheet of the hopperadjacent a side edge of the door and projecting beyond the plane of the closed door, the projecting end of said bracket having a portion which extends outwardly beyond the adjacent side sheet of the hopper at an angle to the latter and is provided in its upper surface with an aperture, an arm member rigidly secured to the door and extending outwardly beyond the outer side sheet of the hopper in proximity to the projecting end of said bracket, said arm being provided with an aperture adapted to register with the aperture of thebracket when thed-oor is in closed position, and a member movable into the apertures of said arm and bracket for maintaining the door in closed position.

17. 'In a railway car, the combination with a hopper having a 'lading discharge opening, said hopper being defined by inner and outer side sheets and anvinclined floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, a bracket member rigidly ailixed to the outer side sheet of the hopper adjacent a side edge of the door and projecting beyond the plane of the closed door, the projecting end of said bracket having a plurality of angularly disposed portions, one of said portions extending laterally of said outer side sheet and being provided with an aperture, an arm rigidly se cured to the door and extending outwardly beyond an edge thereof in proximity to the projecting end of said bracket, said arm being provided withanaperture adapted to register with the aperture of the bracket when the door is in closed position, and a member movable into the apertures of sald arm and bracket for maintaining the door in closed position. i

18. In a railway car,'the combination with a hopper having a lading discharge opening, said hopperbeing defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing. to open position under the influence ofgravity, a bracket mountedupon thehopper comprising a basal plate having laterally offset portions one-of which engages and is secured to .the outer side sheet of the hopper and the other of which projectsoutwardlybeyond the plane of the closed door, said last-named portion being provided with an angularly disposed laterally extending portion provided with an aperture, an arm member rigidly secured to :the door and extending outwardly beyond the outer side sheet in proximity to the apertured portion of said bracket, said armbeing provided with an aperture adapted to register with the aperture of the bracket when the door is in closed position, and a member movable into the apertures of said arm and bracket for maintaining the door in closed position.

. 19. In a railway car, the combination with a hopper having a lading discharge opening, said hopper being defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swingto open position under the influence of gravity, a bracket mounted upon the hopper, said bracket having laterallyoiiset portionsone of which is secured to the outer side sheet of the hopper and the other of which extends beyond the plane of the closed door, said last-named portion having a substantiallyvertically disposed portion and a portion extending laterally and outwardly of the latter, said lateral portion beingprovided with an aperture,

and an arm member rigidly. secured to the .door and adapted to be disposed in overlap- .ping relationrto said bracket, said arm being provided with an aperture adapted to regiswith the aperture of the bracket when the door is in closed position, and a member movable into said apertures of the arm and bracket for maintaining the door in closed position.

.20. In a railwayear, the combination with a hopper havinga lading discharge opening, saidhopper being defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of a'hinged doorfor closing the opening,,the door being arranged to swing to open'posi- .tionunder the influence of. gravity, a bracket .mounted upon the'hopper, said bracket having laterally offset plate port-ions one of which is securedtotthe outer side sheet ofthe hopper said arm being a hopper and the other of which plane or" the closed door in a plane substantially normal to the hinge axis of the door, said last-named portion being provided with projects beyond .the

an angularly disposed laterally extending portion provided with an aperture,an arm rigidly secured to the door and extending outwardly beyond a side edge thereof and adapted to be disposed. in.overlapping relation to the projecting portion of said bracket, provided with an aperture adapted to register with the aperture of the bracket when the door is in closed position, and a member movable into the aperturesof said arm and bracket for maintaining said door in closed position.

21. In a railway car, the combination with a hopper having a lading discharge opening,

said hopper being-defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, an arm rigidly secured to the door and projecting beyond a sine edge thereof, the projectingportion of said arm being provided with an aperture,

a rectilinearly movable locking member mounted in said aperture and adapted-todeinto the opening in the bracket to maintain the door in closed position.

22. In a railway car, the combinationwith having a lading discharge openlng, said hopper being defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined-floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, a stifi'ening beam secured to the door adjacent its 'free edge and having. a portion'projecting outwardly from the outer face of the door, an arm secured to said beam and having a portion disposed outwardly of a side edge'of the door, said portion of the arm having a passage-way defined by a plurality of walls substantially normal tothe outwardly projecting portion of the beam, a bracket secured to the outer side sheet of the hopper and having a portion provided with an aperture adapted to register with the passageway in said arm when the door is-in closed position, and a member mounted in said passageway and 'adapted'to be moved-rectilinearly into the opening in the bracket for supporting the door in closed position.

23. In a railway car, the combination with a hopper having a lading discharge opening, said hopper being defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, a stifi'eningbeam secured to the door adjacent its free edge, an arm secured to said beam and having a portion disposed beyond a side edge of the door, said portion of the arm being formed with an opening, a rectilinearly movable locking member disposed within said opening, a bracket member rigidly mounted upon the outer side sheet of the hopper and engageable with said locking member to support the door in closed position, a keeper cooperable with said locking member for maintaining the latter 1n door-supporting positlon, and a wall rigid with said arm and provided adjacent its upper portion with means affording a sup port for said keeper.

24. In a railway car, the combination with a hopper having a lading discharge opening, said hopper being defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, a bracket rigidly attached to the hopper and projecting beyonl the plane of the closed door, said bracket having a plate portion adapted to lie against and be secured to the outer side sheet of the hopper and the projecting end of said bracket including a relatively broad flat portion lying at an angle to the said outer side sheet, a stiffening beam secured to the outer face of the door, an arm rigidly secured to said stiifening beam and extending outwardly from the side of the door, said arm being adapted to pass closely above the projecting end of the bracket when the door is moved to closed position, apertures respectively formed in said arm and bracket, and a rectilinearly movable locking bolt adapted to be moved into said apertures for supporting the door in closed position, and means mounted upon said arm and cooperable with said bolt ior maintaining the latter in door-supporting position.

25. In a railway car, the combination with a hopper having a lading discharge opening, said hopper being defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet,,of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, means for supporting the door in closed position involving apertured members respectively carried by the hopper and door and adapted to be disposed in overlapping relation when the door is in closed position, a locking member'movable into the apertures of said members for ing apertured members respectively secured to the hopper and door adapted to be disposed in overlapping relation when the door is in closed position, a locking bolt slidably mounted in the aperture of one of said members and adapted to extend into the aperture of the other of said members to support the door in closed position, the lower portion of said-bolt being provided with a surface adapted to engage said last-named member upon closing movement of the door for causing upwardmovement of said bolt whereby the latter may move under the influence of gravity into the aperture of said last-named memher, said bolt and the bracket in which the latter is slidably mounted being respectively provided with laterally projecting means adapted to cooperate with a removable pry bar for moving said bolt upwardly out of door-supporting position. 7 V

In a railway car, the combination with a hopper having a lading discharge opening, of hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, means for supporting the door in closed position involving apertured members respectively secured to the hopper and door adapted to be disposedin overlapping relation when the door is in closed position, a slidable locking bolt adapted to extendinto said apertures for supporting the door in closed position, said bolt being provided with a shoulder adapted to form a lever seat, and means arranged below said shoulder to form a fulcrum for a removable lever whereby the locking bolt may be forced upwardly out of door-supporting position.

28. In a railway car, the combination with" a hopper having a lading discharge opening, of a hinged door for closing the opening, said hopper being defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open-position under the influence of gravity, an arm secured to the door and extending outwardly beyond the outer side sheet of the hopper, a bracket secured to the said outer side sheet and projecting beyond the plane of the lading discharge opening, said bracket being adapted to underlie the outer end of said arm when the door is in closed position and being adapted to form an abutment for the arm to limit sagging of the door, apertures formed in said arm and bracket adapted to register When the door is in closed position, and a sliding looking bolt movable into said apertures to support the door in closed position.

29. In a railway car, the combination With a hopper having a lading discharge opening, said hopper-being defined by inner and outer side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, of a hinged door for closing the opening, the door being arranged to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, means for supporting the door in closed position involving apertured members respectively carried by the hopper and door and adapted to be disposed in overlapping relation When the door is in closed position, a locking member movable into the apertures of said members for supporting the door in closed position, and a pivoted cam for maintaining the locking member in door supporting position, the pivotal axis of the calm being disposed to one side of the center line of the path of movement of the locking member and the latter being provided with a beveled portion engageable with the cam when 111 door supporting position.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

BYERS W. KA DEL. 

